MTT bubble strategy

[robilaruk]

thoughts please stack size 30K around 5th in chips with an ultra tight image, having folded hands for the last 2 levels blinds 600/1200 4 to go before payout (low stacks are 8K 6K 4k 4k)and 2 are on your table and have paid the blinds so are CO and button chips leader with 50K is on your table and is bullying every 3 hand or so he makes his usual raise to 4K and you have 10 10 what do you do? play or fold and if you play how? call, shove, reraise (how much) Cheers Damo

[PAULM03]

Re: MTT bubble strategy Fold for me at that stage. You've got nearly 30BB, you don't need to make a move, let others make the mistakes. The players with 4k stacks need to make a move very soon. Sit tight and keep playing your good hands, in good position and when you are in a position to dominate.

[glceud]

Re: MTT bubble strategy I would take the prize level into account over everything else here. I vary buy ins from $1.00 to $900.00 (via sattelite)$3000 if you count Luton!. Low stakes play the cards and the player you are more than likely ahead. Higher stakes you have to take the value of the prize into account and its bearing to your bankroll. Its easy to say play your normal game, and mention things like varience. At the end of the day its all about money and do you need it there and then. GaF's the only guy on here with an unlimited bankroll!. Small stakes tourney I would reraise all in to stop him drawing to probably one overcard and not really care if I win or lose High stakes tourney I would call and hope to reraise if no overcard or a ten on the flop, if he showed strength on the flop I would fold. And no doubt limp into the money. If there was a lot of added value to the winner ie trip to Asia you would have to play it like a small stakes tourney and try and win it. Having Written this it probably explains why I dont win big tourneys but do make the cash from time to time

[georgej]

Re: MTT bubble strategy I'd call - and after he goes allin after the flop, as long as i had an overpair or set, call. But you know i'm a bit odd :D

[mrmuzeman]

Re: MTT bubble strategy Interesting situation and you could make a case for most moves there really I think. Really dont know whats best there at all. I dont think any play is a mistake there bar going all in. I think if you go all in there and get called your VERY likely to be facing an overpair. A reraise to 12/14k achieves a fold if hes not got anything decent rather than going all in and if he then goes in over the top I think you can safely fold with an OK stack still intact over going all in. You could easily call and take it from there as its not damaging to your stack to do so. Although that could give you a very difficult decision on the flop if he bets again. If you told yourself no set and youll fold if he bets then I guess its ok to call off 4k out of a decent stack. Not sure its optimal tbh but I wouldnt say it was bad play. You could argue a fold as well as youre near the bubble and dont want to get involved with the big stack which is perfectly understandable and perhaps is the best strategy all things considered. Other hands when you can be the inital aggressor would be more favourable and puts less chips at risk.

[Valiant23]

Re: MTT bubble strategy Most crucial for me is whether any of these bullying raises have resulted in you seeing any of his hands. In other words do you have any evidence of a read on his range of hands? Assuming you don't then for me I'd have call and then probe from the flop. I'd be prepared to drop it to suited flops or A/K/Q on board, but I'd probably take a chance against one overcard. If I had any sort of read on him as being slightly LAG then I'd definitely re-raise. I too had a bubble situation yesterday, but the stupid HH from Boss won't show it. If I can get it I'll post it separately. :ok

[Paulie_D]

Re: MTT bubble strategy As I see it, you only really have two options: Fold and play it safe, or Raise I see no point in calling as he HAS to continue the bet on the flop and you still won't know where you are. Let's not forget, YOU HAVE A HAND. I'd come over the top for another 4K and see what happens. If he's stealing then he'll probaby fold there and then, remember he does want to lose chips either and, as you said, it's his standard bullying raise. You have to bet enough to get him off without hurting yourself. If he calls, you still have the flop and a fair to middling hand. If he re-raises you put him on a monster, fold and you still have enough chips to get you through.

[mrmuzeman]

Re: MTT bubble strategy Your fold or raise is fair enough Paulie but making it another 4k is no good imo. Hes only going to fold pure rags a lot of the time there, you dont make any middling type hands fold with that small raise.

[GaF]

Re: MTT bubble strategy Playing devils advocate - is it just "fold or raise"? If you believe that a modest raise opens the door for your opponent to try and bluff you off the hand (reraise all in) and if that bluff would work (i.e. then you would fold), then is it not worth flat calling to make sure you can see the flop? "Shove" has to be the worst option and a complete non starter?

[PAULM03]

Re: MTT bubble strategy

Playing devils advocate - is it just "fold or raise"? If you believe that a modest raise opens the door for your opponent to try and bluff you off the hand (reraise all in) and if that bluff would work (i.e. then you would fold), then is it not worth flat calling to make sure you can see the flop? "Shove" has to be the worst option and a complete non starter?

I wouldn't re-raise in that situation unless I was prepared to shove if he re-re-raised me all-in, which with 10 10 against the chip leader with short stacks at the table I wouldn't. What are you after if you call? He's raised opening up the possibility that he has at least a J Q K or A or an over pair, so even seeing the flop if any of those cards lands or if you have an overpair it's still not really that certain where you are. So at that stage I would definitely, definitely fold.

[robilaruk]

Re: MTT bubble strategy some excellent responses bit more info I suppose - its a hand from the 20K guarentee on paradise last night - bully had shown down one hand when a shorti'sh stack (9K or so) shoved to his raise and he called for pot odds (another 5 to win about 16K with blinds and antes) he had 70K in chips at that point - he showed Q5off - he had also been raising my BB every time (at least the last 4 times, possibly 5) as I had been playing ultra-tight and he had obviously picked up on that Ok lets say I just call and flop is A J J he bets 5K - now what he checks - now what he bets 15K - now what I think the point about ITM first and needing chips second is an interesting concept and am hoping to run through some scenario's to figure out the optimal play Damo

[PAULM03]

Re: MTT bubble strategy

Ok lets say I just call and flop is A J J he bets 5K - now what he checks - now what he bets 15K - now what

Call's worst of all posibble moves. I don't know what I'd do in any of those scenarios as I just don't have a clue where I am, even more so with that flop which is just about as bad as it can get IMO. Still a fold for me.

[georgej]

Re: MTT bubble strategy yup - i'm being a pratt. Allin, Allin, fold. Steal my blinds? I think not!!

[RJILLA]

Re: MTT bubble strategy FOLD & cash RJILLA out !!!!

[sensibleboy]

Re: MTT bubble strategy I would re-raise another 2 times his raise, so would raise it to 12k and if he calls I would put him on two high cards, AK, AQ, KQ etc. If the flop looks good or if you hit a set, move all in. If an overcard comes play safe. Preflop if he moves all in after your re-raise then lay it down as you still have 18k in chips to play with and you'd have to give him the benefit of maybe having Jacks, queens etc.

[Jannieb]

Re: MTT bubble strategy I would say i call and play for set-value no set fold.